Hisham Abugharbieh Charged With Murder of USF Doctoral Students Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy

The case began when two Bangladeshi doctoral students from the University of South Florida went missing from campus on April 16, and investigators later found the body of one of them on a bridge over Tampa Bay.

ABC30 Fresno reported that Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, while Nahida Bristy remained missing, with Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer saying, "We are still actively searching for Nahida."

ABC News

The Associated Press, as carried by 巴士的報, said Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Frankland bridge Friday morning, but Bristy was still missing as of Saturday.

Multiple outlets tied the discovery to the same location, with WNEP and KMAland both describing the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa as where Limon’s body was found.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the roommate detained in the case was booked with murder charges, and The Guardian reported that Hisham Abugharbieh faced two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy.

While the search continued for Bristy, investigators also pursued an autopsy to determine the manner and cause of Limon’s death, with ABC30 Fresno saying results were expected Saturday morning and KSWO 7News saying detectives were waiting for results of an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of Limon’s death.

In parallel, authorities described the timeline of last sightings: the FOX 13 Tampa Bay report said Limon was last seen around 9 a.m. at his home on Avalon Heights Blvd. on April 16, and Bristy was last seen around 10 a.m. on April 16 at the NES Building, 121 USF Sweetgum Lane, on the USF Tampa campus.

Before murder charges were filed, investigators initially encountered Hisham Abugharbieh during a domestic violence response at his family’s home just north of the USF campus, and the situation escalated into a barricade that required a tactical response.

ABC30 Fresno said officers responded to a report of domestic violence at Abugharbieh’s family’s home, "just north of the campus," and that they were able to remove his relatives to safety before he barricaded himself inside and refused to come out.

ABC30 Fresno

The same account described how he came out peacefully after a SWAT team responded, and it placed the standoff in the context of the missing-student investigation, noting that Limon and Bristy disappeared from campus on April 16.

KMAland similarly said investigators received a 911 call for a domestic violence disturbance around 9 a.m. Friday at a residence where Abugharbieh had barricaded himself, and it described a brief standoff after which the suspect surrendered.

The Guardian added operational detail, saying Abugharbieh barricaded himself inside and refused to come out, and that a special tactical team responded "along with a drone, a robot and crisis negotiators" before he came out with his hands up, "apparently wearing nothing but a blue towel."

Multiple outlets also described the suspect’s age and status: ABC30 Fresno said Abugharbieh was 26, and that he was a native-born U.S. citizen; KMAland said he was not a current USF student or employee; and The Guardian said he had studied at USF but was not enrolled at the time of his arrest.

The initial charges also reflected the domestic-incident phase, with ABC30 Fresno listing preliminary charges that included domestic violence, battery, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death and unlawfully moving a body.

As the investigation moved from missing-person status to homicide allegations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office upgraded the case against Abugharbieh to murder charges, and multiple outlets detailed the specific counts and the evidence threshold described by authorities.

The Guardian reported that Abugharbieh was booked with two counts of murder and faced "two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon" in the deaths of Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy.

WJHL and WFLA’s reporting, as carried by WJHL | Other, said the sheriff’s office announced the new development early Saturday morning, a few hours before Abugharbieh is set to make his first court appearance, and it described the murder charges as "two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon."

KMAland and KSWO 7News both said Abugharbieh was charged with "two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon" and that the search for Bristy continued.

FOX 13 Tampa Bay added that Abugharbieh is being held without bond until his pre-trial hearing, and it set the pre-trial hearing for April 28th at 9am.

The murder upgrade came after evidence was presented to the State Attorney’s Office, with WWSB/Gray News saying "evidence was presented to the State Attorney’s Office leading to the additional charges" and FOX 13 Tampa Bay saying "Authorities say they are withholding specific findings to protect the integrity of the investigation."

In parallel, outlets described Abugharbieh’s prior criminal history and court involvement, with ABC30 Fresno saying he had several previous arrests and that he was charged with battery and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling in September 2023 and with battery that May, both classified as misdemeanors.

Public statements from law enforcement and university leadership framed the case as both an active investigation and a community shock, while family and campus voices described the couple’s plans and the concern that followed their disappearance.

ABC30 Fresno quoted Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer urging the public to share information, saying, "We are still actively searching for Nahida," and it also described Maurer’s role in the investigation as he spoke Friday morning.

ABC7 New York

The Guardian quoted Hillsborough county sheriff Chad Chronister saying, "This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and [affected] many who were hoping for a safe resolution," and it added that Chronister said, "While the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives worked and are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth."

University leadership also weighed in: KMAland quoted USF President Moez Limayem saying, "there is "no ongoing threat to the safety of the university community."" and it said Limayem expressed "deep sadness" over Limon's death and prayed for Bristy's "safe return."

The Associated Press report in 巴士的報 included a statement from the university’s Vice Chancellor Mohammad Ismail, who said, "Her sudden passing has deeply saddened all of us," and that "we demand punishment for those involved in her death and compensation for the victim’s family."

In addition to officials, outlets included a relative’s description of the students’ relationship and plans, with The Guardian saying Limon and Bristy were "a couple, and they were considering marriage," and ABC30 Fresno saying Limon and Bristy were a couple, considering marriage, a relative said.

FOX 13 Tampa Bay and The Sun both described the couple as from Bangladesh and said they were thinking about getting married, and The Sun included a quote from Zubaer Ahmed saying, "He is a very responsible and punctual person, and that’s why the situation is so unpredictable and unusual to us… like, and very suspicious."

With murder charges filed and the search for Nahida Bristy continuing, the next steps described by authorities focus on court proceedings, ongoing investigative work, and public assistance in locating Bristy.

FOX 13 Tampa Bay said Abugharbieh is being held without bond until his pre-trial hearing, and it set that hearing for April 28th at 9am, while also stating that investigators have not released details about how the victims were killed or what led up to their deaths.

ABC7 WWSB

WWSB/Gray News and KSWO 7News both said the investigation remains ongoing and that detectives were still waiting for autopsy results to determine the cause and manner of Limon’s death.

KSWO 7News also said the sheriff’s office asked the public to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200 regarding Bristy’s disappearance, and it described the search for Bristy as ongoing.

ABC30 Fresno said an autopsy is being done on the remains to determine the manner and cause of Limon's death, and that those results are expected Saturday morning, while The Guardian said an autopsy was being done and results were possible by Saturday.

The Guardian also emphasized that the sheriff’s office would not comment on findings to protect the integrity of the investigation, and it said that after the discovery of Limon’s remains, Abugharbieh had been arrested on preliminary charges including unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment and battery.

Across these accounts, the immediate consequence is that Abugharbieh faces two counts of first-degree murder with a weapon, while Bristy’s disappearance remains unresolved and the public is still being asked to help locate her.